Did you know Malta actually has a secondary school focused primarily on harnessing the talents of artistic kids? The Visual and Performing Arts School in Ħamrun is an entirely new concept in the country, having only opened its doors to the first batch of 45 students last September. 

We got the first ever taste of what it is teaching this afternoon, as the students put on a variety show in front of their parents, their headmistress, education minister Evarist Bartolo and Prime Minister Joseph Muscat. 

“The smiles I see on your faces whenever I come here is the best possible certificate for this school,” Bartolo said. “We are adamant that no child must be left behind in our education system, and we are now giving artistically incline children to develop their talents at school.”

What is the Visual and Performing Arts School? 

In many ways, it is a normal school. Students there receive education in English, Maltese, maths, religion and science subjects just as in regular schools. However, the bulk of their education is focused on five artistic subjects – art, drama, dance, media studies, and music. 

All students get a taste of all five subjects but specialise in one of them. The courses are focused far more on practice than on academia, with the intention being to provide the children with life-long skills geared towards employability as artists in Malta and abroad. Although it is still in its early stages, placements at the school are already in high demand, and in fact the 45 pioneering students were selected by audition.

Before the show began, we got a chance to view the students’ artworks by the entrance. These are some of them, and they are pretty darn impressive considering the artists are no older than 11. 

Then the performance began – a variety show about change hitting in a quaint Maltese village. Some students painted on stage, others danced, others performed comedic acting routines, others played the piano, the flute and the violin, and the students specialising in media studies directed the whole show behind the scenes. The students were both Maltese and foreign and they kept switching languages from Maltese to English at ease. 

It looks like change is finally happening within Malta’s education system, with the authorities trying out new models to cater for the needs of different children. It is still very experimental, to be sure, but by the looks of today’s performance, it seems to be doing more than just fine. 

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Tim Diacono

Tim is interested in the rapid evolution of human society and is passionate about justice, human rights and cutting-edge political debates. You can follow him on Instagram or Twitter/X at @timdiacono or reach out to him at [email protected]